US10699278B2 - Battery pack monitoring and warranty tracking system - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for monitoring battery usage information. In an embodiment, battery usage data is received from a battery energy storage system comprising a battery pack. The battery usage data may include battery identification information, one or more battery sensor measurements for a period of time, and a cumulative warranty value for the battery pack. A project to which the battery pack belongs may then be determined based on the received battery identification information. Finally, the battery usage data may be stored in a warranty database. The warranty database may store battery usage data for a plurality of battery packs. The warranty database may further be partitioned by project, and the battery usage data for is stored in a partition of the warranty database for the determined project.

Description

BACKGROUNDField

Embodiments of the systems and methods described herein are generally related to warranty applications for battery packs.

Background

Large, multi-cell battery packs typically cost substantially more than common consumer batteries, such as cellular phone and laptop batteries. Replacement of defective battery packs can lead to significant expense for a consumer, and therefore, consumers expect proper function of each battery pack. A warranty may provide assurance to the purchaser of a battery pack in case of any defects.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods are disclosed for monitoring battery usage information. In an embodiment, battery usage data is received from a battery energy storage system that includes a battery pack. The battery usage data may include battery identification information, one or more battery sensor measurements for a period of time, and a cumulative warranty value for the battery pack. A project to which the battery pack belongs may then be determined based on the received battery identification information. Finally, the battery usage data may be stored in a warranty database. The warranty database may store battery usage data for a plurality of battery packs. The warranty database may further be partitioned by project, and the battery usage data may be stored in a partition of the warranty database for the determined project.

In an embodiment, a request may be received from a user for battery usage data stored in the warranty database. It is then verified that the requested battery usage data is authorized to be accessed by the user. Upon successful verification, the requested battery usage data may be provided to a graphical user interface for viewing.

In an embodiment, when a battery pack is determined to be defective, an alert may be received. The stored cumulative warranty value may then be compared to a predefined threshold value. A warranty for the battery pack may be determined to be expired when the cumulative warranty value exceeds the threshold value.

Further embodiments, features, and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of the various embodiments, are described in detail below with reference to accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of the specification, illustrate the present disclosure and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the disclosure and to enable a person skilled in the relevant art to make and use the disclosure.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C are diagrams illustrating an example battery pack.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example communication network formed by a battery pack controller and a plurality of battery module controllers.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example battery pack controller.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example battery module controller.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example battery energy storage system.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a correlation between an electric current measurement and a current factor used in the calculation of a warranty value, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a correlation between a temperature measurement and a temperature factor used in the calculation of a warranty value, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a correlation between a voltage measurement and a voltage factor used in the calculation of a warranty value, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating warranty thresholds used for voiding a warranty for a battery pack, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating example usage of a battery pack, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example warranty tracker according to an embodiment.

FIG. 12 is an example method for calculating and storing a cumulative warranty value, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 13 is an example method for using a warranty tracker, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a defective battery pack and associated warranty information, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example battery energy storage system (BESS) coupled to an example energy management system, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating an example system for monitoring battery usage data for battery packs maintained within a battery energy management system (BESS), according to an embodiment.

FIG. 17 is an example computing system useful for implementing various embodiments.

FIG. 18 is an example user interface for logging into a battery pack warranty application, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 19 is an example user interface illustrating an authentication failure, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 20 is an example user interface for selecting to change a user password, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 21 is an example user interface for changing a user password, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 22 is an example user interface for selecting a project to access, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 23 is an example user interface for viewing battery pack status and usage data, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 24 is an example user interface for viewing historical battery usage data, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 25 is an example user interface for viewing battery pack exceptions, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 26 is an example user interface for transferring a battery pack between projects, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 27 is an example administrative user interface for assigning task permissions, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 28 is an example administrative user interface for creating a new user account, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 29 is an example user interface for editing a user account, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 30 is an example method for receiving and storing battery usage data, according to an embodiment.

In the drawings, like reference numbers may indicate identical or functionally similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the present disclosure is described herein with illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto. A person skilled in the art with access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the disclosure would be of significant utility.

The terms “embodiments” or “example embodiments” do not require that all embodiments include the discussed feature, advantage, or mode of operation. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure, and well-known elements may not be described in detail or may be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details. In addition, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. For example, as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes” and “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or groups thereof.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C are diagrams that illustrate anexample battery pack100 according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Specifically,FIGS. 1A and 1B depict front views ofbattery pack100, andFIG. 1C depicts an exploded view ofbattery pack100. As shown inFIGS. 1A-C, the housing ofbattery pack100 may include afront panel102, a lid or cover112, aback panel116, and a bottom118. Thelid112, which includes left and right side portions, may include a plurality of air vents to facilitate air flow throughbattery pack100 and aid in cooling the internal components ofbattery pack100. In a non-limiting embodiment, thelid112 is “U”-shaped and may be fabricated from a single piece of metal, plastic, or any other material known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

The housing ofbattery pack100 may be assembled usingfasteners128 shown inFIG. 1C, which may be screws and bolts or any other fastener known to one of ordinary skill in the art. The housing ofbattery pack100 may also include front handles110 and back handles114. As shown inFIG. 1C,front plate102 may be coupled tolid112 and bottom118 viafront panel mount120. In one embodiment,battery pack100 is implemented as a rack-mountable equipment module. For example,battery pack100 may be implemented as a standard 19-inch rack (e.g.,front panel102 having a width of 19 inches, andbattery pack100 having a depth of between 22 and 24 inches and a height of 4 rack units or “U,” where U is a standard unit that is equal to 1.752 inches). As shown inFIG. 1C,battery pack100 may include one ormore mounts122 attached tobottom118.Mount122 may be used to securebattery pack100 in a rack in order to arrange a plurality of battery packs in a stacked configuration (shown inFIG. 5).

InFIGS. 1A-C,battery pack100 includes apower connector104 for connecting to the negative terminal of the battery pack and apower connector106 for connecting to a positive terminal of the battery pack. As shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B, thepower connectors104 and106 may be provided on thefront plate102 ofbattery pack100. Power cables (not shown) may be attached to thepower connectors104 and106 and used to add or remove energy from thebattery pack100.

Thefront plate102 ofbattery pack100 may also include a status light and resetbutton108. In one embodiment,status button108 is a push button that can be depressed to reset or restartbattery pack100. In one embodiment, the outer ring around the center ofbutton108 may be illuminated to indicate the operating status ofbattery pack100. The illumination may be generated by a light source, such as one or more light emitting diodes, that is coupled to or part of thestatus button108. In this embodiment, different color illumination may indicate different operating states of the battery pack. For example, constant or steady green light may indicate thatbattery pack100 is in a normal operating state; flashing or strobing green light may indicate thatbattery pack100 is in a normal operating state and thatbattery pack100 is currently balancing the batteries; constant or steady yellow light may indicate a warning or thatbattery pack100 is in an error state; flashing or strobing yellow light may indicate a warning or thatbattery pack100 is in an error state and thatbattery pack100 is currently balancing the batteries; constant or steady red light may indicate that thebattery pack100 is in an alarm state; flashing or strobing red light may indicate thatbattery pack100 needs to be replaced; and no light emitted from the status light may indicate thatbattery pack100 has no power and/or needs to be replaced. In some embodiments, when the status light emits red light (steady or flashing) or no light, connectors inbattery pack100 or in an external controller are automatically opened to prevent charging or discharging of the batteries. As would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, any color, strobing technique, etc., of illumination to indicate the operating status ofbattery pack100 is within the scope of this disclosure.

Turning toFIG. 1C, example components that are disposed inside the housing ofbattery pack100 are shown, including (but not limited to) balancingcharger132, battery pack controller (BPC)134, and battery module controller (BMC)138. Balancingcharger132 may be a power supply, such as a DC power supply, and may provide energy to all of the battery cells in a battery pack.BMC138 is coupled tobattery module136 and may selectively discharge energy from the battery cells that are included inbattery module136, as well as take measurements (e.g., voltage and temperature) ofbattery module136.BPC134 may control balancingcharger132 andBMC138 to balance or adjust the voltage and/or state of charge of a battery module to a target voltage and/or state of charge value.

As shown,battery pack100 includes a plurality of battery modules and a BMC (e.g., battery module controller138) is coupled to each battery module (e.g., battery module136). In one embodiment, which is described in more detail below, n BMCs (where n is greater than or equal to 2) can be daisy-chained together and coupled to a BPC to form a single-wire communication network. In this example arrangement, each BMC may have a unique address and the BPC may communicate with each of the BMCs by addressing one or more messages to the unique address of any desired BMC. The one or more messages (which include the unique address of the BMC) may include an instruction to, for example, remove energy from a battery module, to stop removing energy from a battery module, to measure and report the temperature of the battery module, and to measure and report the voltage of the battery module. In one embodiment,BPC134 may obtain measurements (e.g., temperature, voltage) from each of the BMCs using a polling technique.BPC134 may calculate or receive (e.g., from a controller outside of battery pack100) a target voltage forbattery pack100, and may use the balancingcharger132 and the network of BMCs to adjust each of the battery modules to the target voltage. Thus,battery pack100 may be considered a smart battery pack, able to self-adjust its battery cells to a target voltage.

The electrical wiring that connects various components ofbattery pack100 has been omitted fromFIG. 1C to enhance viewability. In the illustrated embodiment, balancingcharger132 andbattery pack controller134 may be connected to or mounted on the bottom118. While shown as mounted on the left side ofbattery pack100, balancingcharger132 andbattery pack controller134, as well as all other components disposed inbattery pack100, may be disposed at any location withinbattery pack100.

Battery module136 includes a plurality of battery cells. Any number of battery cells may be included inbattery module136. Example battery cells include, but are not limited to, Li ion battery cells, such as 18650 or 26650 battery cells. The battery cells may be cylindrical battery cells, prismatic battery cells, or pouch battery cells, to name a few examples. The battery cells or battery modules may be, for example, up to 100 AH battery cells or battery modules. In some embodiments, the battery cells are connected in series/parallel configuration. Example battery cell configurations include, but are not limited to, 1P16S configuration, 2P16S configuration, 3P16S configuration, 4P16S configuration, 1P12S configuration, 2P12S configuration, 3P12S configuration, and 4P12S configuration. Other configurations known to one of ordinary skill in the art are within the scope of this disclosure.Battery module136 includes positive and negative terminals for adding energy to and removing energy from the plurality of battery cells included therein.

As shown inFIG. 1C,battery pack100 includes 12 battery modules that form a battery assembly. In another embodiment,battery pack100 may include 16 battery modules that form a battery assembly. In other embodiments,battery pack100 may include 20 battery modules or 25 battery modules that form a battery assembly. As would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, any number of battery modules may be connected to form the battery assembly ofbattery pack100. Inbattery pack100, the battery modules that are arranged as a battery assembly may be arranged in a series configuration.

InFIG. 1C,battery module controller138 is coupled tobattery module136.Battery module controller138 may be couple to the positive and negative terminals ofbattery module136.Battery module controller138 may be configured to perform one, some, or all of the following functions: remove energy frombattery module136, measure the voltage ofbattery module136, and measure the temperature ofbattery module136. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art,battery module controller138 is not limited to performing the functions just described. In one embodiment,battery module controller138 is implemented as one or more circuits disposed on a printed circuit board. Inbattery pack100, one battery module controller is coupled to or mounted on each of the battery modules inbattery pack100. Additionally, each battery module controller may be coupled to one or more adjacent battery module controllers via wiring to form a communication network. As illustrated inFIG. 2, n battery module controllers (where n is a whole number greater than or equal to two) may be daisy-chained together and coupled to a battery pack controller to form a communication network.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating anexample communication network200 formed by a battery pack controller and a plurality of battery module controllers. InFIG. 2, battery pack controller (BPC)210 is coupled to n battery module controllers (BMCs)220,230,240,250, and260. Said another way, n battery module controllers (where n is a whole number greater than or equal to two) are daisy-chained together and coupled tobattery pack controller210 to formcommunication network200, which may be referred to as a distributed, daisy-chained battery management system (BMS). Specifically,BPC210 is coupled toBMC220 viacommunication wire215,BMC220 is coupled toBMC230 viacommunication wire225,BMC230 is coupled toBMC240 viacommunication wire235, andBMC250 is coupled toBMC260 viacommunication wire255 to form the communication network. Eachcommunication wire215,225,235, and255 may be a single wire, forming a single-wire communication network that allows theBCM210 to communicate with each of the BCMs220-260, and vice versa. As would be apparent to one of skill in the art, any number of BMCs may be daisy chained together incommunication network200.

Each BMC in thecommunication network200 may have a unique address thatBCP210 uses to communicate with individual BMCs. For example,BMC220 may have an address of 0002,BMC230 may have an address of 0003,BMC240 may have an address of 0004, BMC350 may have an address of 0005, and BMC360 may have an address of 0006.BPC210 may communicate with each of the BMCs by addressing one or more messages to the unique address of any desired BMC. The one or more messages (which include the unique address of the BMC) may include an instruction to, for example, remove energy from a battery module, to stop removing energy from a battery module, to measure and report the temperature of the battery module, and to measure and report the voltage of the battery module.BPC210 may poll the BMCs to obtain measurements related to the battery modules of the battery pack, such as voltage and temperature measurements. Any polling technique known to one of skill in the art may be used. In some embodiments,BPC210 continuously polls the BMCs for measurements in order to continuously monitor the voltage and temperature of the battery modules inbattery pack100.

For example,BPC210 may seek to communicate withBMC240, e.g., in order to obtain temperature and voltage measurements of the battery module thatBMC240 is mounted on. In this example,BPC210 generates and sends a message (or instruction) addressed to BMC240 (e.g., address 0004). The other BMCs in thecommunication network200 may decode the address of the message sent byBPC210, but only the BMC (in this example, BMC240) having the unique address of the message may respond. In this example,BMC240 receives the message from BPC210 (e.g., the message traversescommunication wires215,225, and235 to reach BMC240), and generates and sends a response toBPC210 via the single-wire communication network (e.g., the response traversescommunication wires235,225, and215 to reach BPC210).BPC210 may receive the response and instructBMC240 to perform a function (e.g., remove energy from the battery module it is mounted on). In other embodiments, other types of communication networks (other than communication network200) may be used, such as, for example, an RS232 or RS485 communication network.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an examplebattery pack controller300 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.Battery pack controller134 ofFIG. 1C may be implemented as described in accordance withbattery pack controller300 ofFIG. 3.Battery pack controller210 ofFIG. 2 may be implemented as described in accordance withbattery pack controller300 ofFIG. 3.

As shown inFIG. 3, the examplebattery pack controller300 includes a DC input302 (which may be an isolated 5V DC input), acharger switching circuit304, a DIP-switch306, aJTAG connection308, a CAN (CANBus)connection310, a microprocessor unit (MCU)312,memory314, anexternal EEPROM316, atemperature monitoring circuit318, a status light and resetbutton320, awatchdog timer322, and a battery module controller (BMC)communication connection324.

In one embodiment,battery pack controller300 may be powered from energy stored in the battery cells.Battery pack controller300 may be connected to the battery cells byDC input302. In other embodiments,battery pack controller300 may be powered from an AC to DC power supply connected to DC input302. In these embodiments, a DC-DC power supply may then convert the input DC power to one or more power levels appropriate for operating the various electrical components ofbattery pack controller300.

In the example embodiment illustrated inFIG. 3,charger switching circuit304 is coupled toMCU312.Charger switching circuit304 andMCU312 may be used to control operation of a balancing charger, such as balancingcharger132 ofFIG. 1C. As described above, a balancing charger may add energy to the battery cells of the battery pack. In an embodiment,temperature monitoring circuit318 includes one or more temperature sensors that can monitor the temperature heat sources within the battery pack, such as the temperature of the balancing charger that is used to add energy to the battery cells of the battery pack.

Battery pack controller300 may also include several interfaces and/or connectors for communicating. These interfaces and/or connectors may be coupled toMCU312 as shown inFIG. 3. In one embodiment, these interfaces and/or connectors include: DIP-switch306, which may be used to set a portion of software bits used to identifybattery pack controller300;JTAG connection308, which may be used for testing and debuggingbattery pack controller300; CAN (CANBus)connection310, which may be used to communicate with a controller that is outside ofbattery pack100; andBMC communication connection324, which may be used to communicate with one or more battery module controllers, such as a distributed, daisy-chained network of battery module controllers (e.g.,FIG. 2). For example,battery pack controller300 may be coupled to a communication wire, e.g.,communication wire215 ofFIG. 2, viaBMC communication connection324.

Battery pack controller300 also includes anexternal EEPROM316.External EEPROM316 may store values, measurements, etc., for the battery pack. These values, measurements, etc., may persist when power ofbattery pack100 is turned off (i.e., will not be lost due to loss of power).External EEPROM316 may also store executable code or instructions, such as executable code or instructions to operatemicroprocessor unit312.

Microprocessor unit (MCU)312 is coupled tomemory314.MCU312 is used to execute an application program that manages the battery pack. As described herein, in an embodiment the application program may perform the following functions (but is not limited thereto): monitor the voltage and temperature of the battery cells ofbattery pack100, balance the battery cells ofbattery pack100, monitor and control (if needed) the temperature ofbattery pack100, handle communications betweenbattery pack100 and other components of an electrical energy storage system (seeFIG. 5 below), and generate warnings and/or alarms, as well as take other appropriate actions, to protect the battery cells ofbattery pack100.

As described above, a battery pack controller may obtain temperature and voltage measurements from battery module controllers. The temperature readings may be used to ensure that the battery cells are operated within their specified temperature limits and to adjust temperature related values calculated and/or used by the application program executing onMCU312. Similarly, the voltage readings are used, for example, to ensure that the battery cells are operated within their specified voltage limits.

Watchdog timer322 is used to monitor and ensure the proper operation ofbattery pack controller300. In the event that an unrecoverable error or unintended infinite software loop should occur during operation ofbattery pack controller300,watchdog timer322 can resetbattery pack controller300 so that it resumes operating normally. Status light and resetbutton320 may be used to manually reset operation ofbattery pack controller300. As shown inFIG. 3, status light and resetbutton320 andwatchdog timer322 may be coupled toMCU312.

FIG. 4 illustrates an examplebattery module controller400 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.Battery module controller138 ofFIG. 1C may be implemented as described in accordance withbattery module controller400 ofFIG. 4. Each ofbattery module controllers220,230,240,250, and260 ofFIG. 2 may be implemented as described in accordance withbattery module controller400 ofFIG. 4.Battery module controller400 may be mounted on a battery module of a battery pack and may perform the following functions (but is not limited thereto): measure the voltage of the battery module, measure the temperature of the battery module, and remove energy from (discharge) the battery module.

InFIG. 4, thebattery module controller400 includesprocessor405,voltage reference410, one or morevoltage test resistors415,power supply420, failsafe circuit425,shunt switch430, one ormore shunt resistors435,polarity protection circuit440,isolation circuit445, andcommunication wire450.Processor405 controls thebattery module controller400.Processor405 receives power from the battery module thatbattery module controller400 is mounted on via thepower supply420.Power supply420 may be a DC power supply. As shown inFIG. 4,power supply420 is coupled to the positive terminal of the battery module, and provides power toprocessor405.Processor405 is also coupled to the negative terminal of the battery module viapolarity protection circuit440, which protectsbattery module controller400 in the event that it is improperly mounted on a battery module (e.g., the components ofbattery module controller400 that are coupled to the positive terminal inFIG. 4 are improperly coupled to the negative terminal and vice versa).

Battery module controller400 may communicate with other components of a battery pack (e.g., a battery pack controller) viacommunication wire450, which may be a single wire. As described with respect to the example communication network ofFIG. 2,communication wire450 may be used to daisy chainbattery module controller400 to a battery pack controller and/or one or more other battery module controllers to form a communication network. As such,battery module controller400 may send and receive messages (including instructions sent from a battery pack controller) viacommunication wire450. When functioning as part of a communication network,battery module controller400 may be assigned a unique network address, which may be stored in a memory device of theprocessor405.

Battery module controller400 may be electrically isolated from other components that are coupled to the communication wire (e.g., battery pack controller, other battery module controllers) viaisolation circuit445. InFIG. 4,isolation circuit445 is disposed betweencommunication wire450 andprocessor405.Isolation circuit445 may capacitivelycouple processor405 tocommunication wire450, or may provide other forms of electrical isolation known to those of skill in the art.

As explained above,battery module controller400 may measure the voltage of the battery module it is mounted on. As shown inFIG. 4,processor405 is coupled tovoltage test resistor415, which is coupled to the positive terminal of the battery module.Processor405 may measure the voltage acrossvoltage test resistor415, and compare this measured voltage tovoltage reference410 to determine the voltage of the battery module. As described with respect toFIG. 2,battery module controller400 may be instructed to measure the voltage of the battery module by a battery pack controller. After performing the voltage measurement,processor405 may report the voltage measurement to a battery pack controller viacommunication wire450.

Battery module controller400 may also remove energy from the battery module that it is mounted on. As shown inFIG. 4,processor405 is coupled to failsafe circuit425, which is coupled to shuntswitch430.Shunt switch430 is also coupled to the negative terminal viapolarity protection circuit440.Shunt resistor435 is disposed between the positive terminal of the battery module and shuntswitch430. In this embodiment, whenshunt switch430 is open,shunt resistor435 is not applied across the positive and negative terminals of the battery module; and whenshunt switch430 is closed,shunt resistor435 is applied across the positive and negative terminals of the battery module in order to remove energy from the battery module.Processor405 may instructshunt switch430 to selectively applyshunt resistor435 across the positive and negative terminals of the battery module in order to remove energy from the battery module. In one embodiment,processor405 instructsshunt switch430 at regular intervals (e.g., once every 30 seconds) to applyshunt resistor435 in order to continuously discharge the battery module.

Failsafe circuit425 may preventshunt switch430 from removing too much energy from the battery module. In the event thatprocessor405 malfunctions, failsafe circuit425 may instructshunt switch430 to stop applyingshunt resistor435 across the positive and negative terminals of the battery module. For example,processor405 may instructshunt switch430 at regular intervals (e.g., once every 30 seconds) to applyshunt resistor435 in order to continuously discharge the battery module. Failsafe circuit425, which is disposed betweenprocessor405 and shuntswitch430, may monitor theinstructions processor405 sends to shuntswitch430. In the event thatprocessor405 fails to send a scheduled instruction to the shunt switch430 (which may be caused by a malfunction of processor405), failssafe circuit425 may instruct or causeshunt switch430 to open, preventing further discharge of the battery module.

Battery module controller400 ofFIG. 4 also includestemperature sensor455, which may measure the temperature of the battery module thatbattery module controller400 is connected to. As depicted inFIG. 4,temperature sensor455 is coupled toprocessor405, and may provide temperature measurements toprocessor405. Any temperature sensor known to those skilled in the art may be used to implementtemperature sensor455.

FIG. 5 is a diagram that illustrates batteryenergy storage system500. Batteryenergy storage system500 can be operated as a stand-alone system, or it can be combined together with other battery energy storage systems to form a part of a larger battery energy storage system. Batteryenergy storage system500 may be highly scalable, ranging from a small kilowatt-hour size battery energy storage system to a megawatt-hour size battery energy storage system. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 5, batteryenergy storage system500 is housed in a container (similar to a shipping container) and is movable (e.g., transported by a truck). Other housings known to those skilled in the art are within the scope of this disclosure.

As shown inFIG. 5, batteryenergy storage system500 includes a plurality of battery packs, such asbattery pack510.Battery pack510 may be implemented as described with respect toFIGS. 1-4 above. As explained above, each battery pack includes battery cells (which may be arranged into battery modules), a battery pack controller that monitors the battery cells, a balancing charger (e.g., DC power supply) that adds energy to each of the battery cells, and a distributed, daisy-chained network of battery module controllers that may take certain measurements of and remove energy from the battery cells. As explained, the battery pack controller may control the network of battery module controllers and the balancing charger to control the state-of-charge or voltage of a battery pack.

The battery packs of batteryenergy storage system500 may be mounted on racks. A plurality of battery packs may be connected in series, which may be referred to as a string of battery packs or a battery pack string. For example,battery pack510 may be connected in series with other battery packs to formbattery pack string520.FIG. 5 illustrates three battery pack strings520,530, and540. A plurality of battery pack strings may be connected in parallel to form a battery energy storage system.

Each battery pack string may be controlled by a controller, which may be referred to as a string controller. For example,battery pack string520 may be controlled bystring controller550. As its name suggests, a string controller may monitor and control the battery packs of a string. In an embodiment, the plurality of string controllers may be linked together using CAN (CANBus) communications, which enables the string controllers to operate together as part of an overall network of battery string controllers. This network of battery string controllers can manage and operate any size battery system such as, for example, a multi-megawatt-hour centralized battery energy storage system. In an embodiment, one of the networked battery string controllers (such as battery string controller550) can be designated as a master battery string controller and used to control battery charge and discharge operations by sending commands that operate one or more inverters and/or chargers connected to the battery system. Alternatively, a computer orsystem controller560 may be coupled to and control the string controllers in a battery energy storage system. A string controller may communicate with the battery pack controller in each of the battery packs in its string (e.g.,string controller550 may communicate with the BPC in battery pack510) to monitor and control charging and discharging of the battery packs. In one embodiment, a string controller sends each battery pack in its string a target voltage, and the battery packs adjust the battery cells to the target voltage. A string controller and BPC may also communicate measurements (e.g., voltage, temperature, current values), and also perform diagnostic procedures, startup procedures, and the like.

In an embodiment batteryenergy storage system500 includes or is otherwise coupled to a bi-directional power converter. The bi-directional power converter may charge and discharge battery packs using commands issued, for example, via a computer over a network (e.g. the Internet, an Ethernet, etc.). In one embodiment, an operator at a utility may use a networked computer to control batteryenergy storage system500. Both the real power and the reactive power of the bi-directional power converter may be controlled. Also, in some embodiments, the bi-directional power converter can be operated as a backup power source when grid power is not available and/or the battery energy storage unit is disconnected from the power grid.

Batteryenergy storage system500 may be used as a part of a renewable wind energy system, which includes wind turbines. Energy from the wind turbines may be stored in and selectively discharged from batteryenergy storage system500. Similarly, batteryenergy storage system500 may be used as a part of a renewable solar energy system, which includes a solar array. Energy from the solar array may be stored in and selectively discharged from the batteryenergy storage system500. Additionally, batteryenergy storage system500 may be used as a part of a grid energy system (power grid), which includes electrical equipment. Energy from grid energy system may be stored in and selectively discharged from batteryenergy storage system500.

In an embodiment, a warranty based on battery usage for a battery pack, such asbattery pack100 ofFIGS. 1A-C, may take into account various data associated with the battery pack, such as but not limited to, charge and discharge rates, battery temperature, and battery voltage. A warranty tracker embedded in the battery pack may use this data to compute a warranty value representing battery usage for a period of time. Calculated warranty values may be aggregated over the life of the battery, and the cumulative value may be used to determine warranty coverage. With this approach, the warranty may not only factor in the total discharge of the battery pack, but also the manner in which the battery pack has been used. Various data used to calculate warranty values, according to an embodiment, are discussed further with respect toFIGS. 6-9.

Charge and discharge rates of a battery pack are related to and can be approximated or determined based on the amount of electric current flowing into and out of the battery pack, which can be measured. In general, higher charge and discharge rates may produce more heat (than lower rates), which may cause stress on the battery pack, shorten the life of the battery pack, and/or lead to unexpected failures or other issues.FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example correlation between an electric current measurement and a current factor used in the calculation of a warranty value according to an embodiment. Electric current may be directly measured for a battery pack, such asbattery pack100 ofFIGS. 1A-C, and may provide charge and/or discharge rates of the battery pack.

Normal charge and discharge rates for batteries of different capacities may vary. For this reason, in an embodiment, electric current measurements may be normalized in order to apply a standard for determining normal charge and discharge rates for different battery packs. One of skill in the art will recognize that the measured electric current may be normalized based on the capacity of the battery pack, producing a C-rate. As an example, a normalized rate of discharge of 1C would deliver the battery pack's rated capacity in one hour, e.g., a 1,000 mAh battery would provide a discharge current of 1,000 mA for one hour. The C-rate may allow the same standard to be applied for determining normal charge and discharge, whether the battery pack is rated at 1,000 mAh or 100 Ah or any other rating known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

Still consideringFIG. 6,example plot602 illustratescurrent factor606 as a function of a normalized C-rate604, according to an embodiment. Electric current measurements may be used to calculate warranty values by converting the measured electric current to a corresponding current factor. In an embodiment, the measured electric current is first normalized to produce a C-rate. The C-rate indicates the charge or discharge rate of the battery pack and allows for consistent warranty calculations regardless of the capacity of the battery pack. The C-rate may then be mapped to current factors for use in warranty calculations. For example, a normalized C-rate of 1C may be mapped to a current factor of 2, whereas a C-rate of 3C may be mapped to a current factor of 10, indicating a higher rate of charge or discharge. In an embodiment, separate sets of mappings may be maintained for charge and discharge rates. In an embodiment, these mappings may be stored in a lookup table residing in a computer-readable storage device within the battery pack. In another embodiment, mappings and current factors may be stored in a computer-readable storage device that is external to the battery pack. Alternatively, in an embodiment, a predefined mathematical function may be applied to C-rates or electric current measurements to produce a corresponding current factor, rather than explicitly storing mappings and current factors.

In an embodiment, calculated C-rates above a maximum C-rate warranty threshold608 may immediately void the warranty on the battery pack. This threshold may be predefined or set dynamically by the warranty tracker. In a non-limiting example,maximum warranty threshold608 may be set to a C-rate of 2C. Calculated C-rates abovemaximum warranty threshold608 may indicate improper usage of the battery pack, and hence the warranty may not cover subsequent issues that arise. In an embodiment, maximum warranty thresholds may be defined for both the rate of charge and discharge of the battery pack, rather than maintaining a single threshold for both charge and discharge.

Temperature is another factor that may affect battery performance. In general, higher temperatures may cause the battery pack to age at a faster rate by generating higher internal temperatures, which causes increased stress on the battery pack. This may shorten the life of a battery pack. On the other hand, lower temperatures may, for example, cause damage when the battery pack is charged.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example correlation between a temperature measurement and a temperature factor used in the calculation of a warranty value according to an embodiment. A battery pack, such asbattery pack100 ofFIGS. 1A-C, may include one or more battery temperature measurement circuits that measures the temperature of the individual battery cells or the individual battery modules within the battery pack. In another embodiment, the temperature measurement circuit may be external to the battery pack.Example plot702 illustratestemperature factor706 as a function of measuredtemperature704, according to an embodiment. Temperature measurements may be used to calculate warranty values by converting the measured temperature to a corresponding temperature factor. In an embodiment, temperature measurements may be mapped to temperature factors for use in warranty calculations. For example, a normal operating temperature of 20° C. may be mapped to a temperature factor of 1, whereas a higher temperature of 40° C. would be mapped to a higher temperature factor. A higher temperature factor may indicate that battery wear is occurring at a faster rate. In an embodiment, these mappings may be stored in a lookup table residing in a computer-readable memory device within the battery pack. In another embodiment, mappings and temperature factors may be stored in a computer-readable memory device that is external to the battery pack. Alternatively, in an embodiment, a predefined mathematical function may be applied to temperature measurements to produce a corresponding temperature factor, rather than explicitly storing mappings and temperature factors.

Warranty thresholds may also be a function of battery temperature such as, for example, charging the battery pack when the temperature is below a predefined value. In an embodiment, operating temperatures below a minimumtemperature warranty threshold708 or above a maximumtemperature warranty threshold710 may immediately void the warranty on the battery pack. These thresholds may be predefined or set dynamically by the warranty tracker. Operating temperatures belowminimum warranty threshold708 or abovemaximum warranty threshold710 may indicate improper usage of the battery pack, and hence the warranty may not cover subsequent operating issues or defects that arise. In an embodiment, minimum and maximum warranty thresholds may be defined for both charging and discharging the battery pack rather than maintaining the same thresholds for both charging and discharging.

Voltage and/or state-of-charge are additional factors that may affect battery performance. The voltage of a battery pack, which may be measured, may be used to calculate or otherwise determine the state-of-charge of the battery pack. In general, very high or very low states of charge or voltages cause increased stress on the battery pack. This, again, may shorten the life of the battery pack.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example correlation between a voltage measurement and a voltage factor used in the calculation of a warranty value according to an embodiment. A battery pack, such asbattery pack100 ofFIGS. 1A-C, may include a battery voltage measurement circuit that measures the voltage of individual battery cells or the voltage of battery modules within the battery pack. In another embodiment, the voltage measurement circuit may be external to the battery pack. These voltage measurements may be aggregated or averaged for use in calculating warranty values for the battery pack. In an embodiment, the state-of-charge of the battery pack may be calculated and used in the calculation of a warranty value; however, this calculation is not always accurate and so care must be taken in determining a warranty calculation factor. In an embodiment, the measured voltage of the battery pack may be the average measured voltage of each battery cell or each battery module contained within the battery pack.

InFIG. 8,example plot802 illustratesvoltage factor806 as a function of measuredvoltage804, according to an embodiment. Voltage measurements may be used to calculate warranty values by converting the measured voltage to a corresponding voltage factor. In an embodiment, voltage measurements may be mapped to voltage factors for use in warranty calculations. These mappings may be specific to the type of battery cells contained in the battery pack. For example, a battery pack including one or more lithium-ion battery cells may have a nominal open-circuit voltage of 3.2V for each cell. In this case, a voltage measurement of 3.2V may be mapped to a voltage factor of 1. In contrast, a voltage measurement of 3.6V or 2.8V at a certain charge or discharge rate may be mapped to a higher voltage factor, indicating a higher or lower state-of-charge. In an embodiment, these mappings may be stored in a lookup table residing in a computer-readable memory device within the battery pack. In another embodiment, mappings and voltage factors may be stored in a computer-readable memory device external to the battery pack. Alternatively, in an embodiment, a predefined mathematical function may be applied to voltage measurements to produce a corresponding voltage factor, rather than explicitly storing mappings and voltage factors.

In an embodiment, measured voltages below a minimumvoltage warranty threshold808 or above a maximumvoltage warranty threshold810 may immediately void the warranty on the battery pack. These thresholds may be predefined or set dynamically by the warranty tracker. In a non-limiting example, minimum andmaximum warranty thresholds808 and810 may be set to voltages indicating the over-discharging and over-charging of the battery cells, respectively. Measured voltages belowminimum warranty threshold808 or abovemaximum warranty threshold810 may indicate improper usage of the battery pack, and hence the warranty may not cover subsequent issues that arise.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating example warranty thresholds used for voiding a warranty for a battery pack according to an embodiment. As previously described, improper usage of a battery pack may cause a warranty to be automatically voided. For example, extreme operating temperatures, voltages, or charge/discharge rates may immediately void a warranty.

In various embodiments, a battery pack may store the minimum recordedvoltage901, maximum recordedvoltage902, minimum recordedtemperature903, maximum recordedtemperature904, maximum recorded charging electric current905, and maximum recorded discharging electric current906 for the life of the battery pack. These values may be recorded by any device or combination of devices capable of measuring or calculating the aforementioned data, such as (but not limited to) one or more battery voltage measurement circuit(s), battery temperature measurement circuit(s), and electric current measurement circuit(s), respectively, which are further described with respect toFIGS. 6-8. In an alternate embodiment, the battery pack may store in a computer-readable memory device a maximum recorded electric current, rather than both a maximum charging and discharging electric current. In an embodiment, data measurements may be recorded in a computer-readable memory device periodically during the life of the battery. Forminimum values901 and903, if a newly recorded value is less than the stored minimum value, the previously stored minimum value is overwritten with the newly recorded value. Formaximum values902,904,905, and906, if a newly recorded value is greater than the stored maximum value, the previously stored maximum value is overwritten with the newly recorded value.

In an embodiment, each battery pack may maintain a list of warranty threshold values, for example warranty threshold values911-916, in a computer-readable storage device. In another embodiment, the list of warranty threshold values may be maintained in a computer-readable storage device that is external to the battery pack. Warranty threshold values may indicate minimum and maximum limits used to determine uses of the battery pack that are outside the warranty coverage. The warranty tracker may periodically compare the stored minimum and maximum values901-906 to warranty threshold values911-916 to determine whether a warranty for the battery pack should be voided.

In an embodiment, the battery pack may store a warranty status in a computer-readable storage device. The warranty status may be any type of data capable of representing a status. For example, the warranty status may be a binary flag that indicates whether the warranty has been voided. The warranty status may also be, for example, an enumerated type having a set of possible values, such as but not limited to, active, expired, and void.

As illustrated inFIG. 9, the warranty status is set based on a comparison of the recorded maximum and minimum values901-906 to predefined warranty thresholds911-916. For example, minimum recordedvoltage901 is 1.6 V andminimum voltage threshold911 is 2.0 V. In this example, minimum recordedvoltage901 is less thanminimum voltage threshold911, and therefore the warranty is voided, as indicated atbox921. This will be reflected in the warranty status and stored. In various embodiments, when the warranty is voided, an electronic communication may be generated and sent by the battery pack and/or system in which the battery pack is used to notify selected individuals that the warranty has been voided. The electronic communication may also include details regarding the conditions or use that caused the warranty to be voided.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating example usage of a battery pack according to an embodiment. In addition to minimum and maximum data values being recorded, as described with respect toFIG. 9, usage frequency statistics may also be collected. For example, usage statistics may be recorded based on battery voltage measurements, battery temperature measurements, and charge/discharge current measurements.

In an embodiment, one or more ranges of values may be defined for each type of recorded data. In the example illustrated inFIG. 10, defined ranges for measured voltage are 2.0 V-2.2 V, 2.2 V-2.4 V, 2.4 V-2.6 V, 2.6 V-2.8 V, 2.8 V-3.0 V, 3.0 V-3.2 V, 3.2 V-3.3 V, 3.3 V-3.4 V, 3.4 V-3.5 V, 3.5 V to 3.6 V, and 3.6 V-3.7 V. These ranges may be common for lithium-ion batteries, for example, in order to capture typical voltages associated with such batteries. Each defined range may be associated with a counter. In an embodiment, each counter is stored in a computer-readable storage device within a battery pack. In other embodiments, counters may be stored external to a battery pack, for example in a string controller or a system controller of an electrical storage unit, as described with respect toFIG. 5. This may allow for further aggregation of usage statistics across multiple battery packs.

In an embodiment, voltage measurements may be taken periodically. When a measured value falls within a defined range, the associated counter may be incremented. The value of each counter then represents the frequency of measurements falling within the associated range of values. Frequency statistics may then be used to create a histogram displaying the distribution of usage measurements for the life of a battery pack, or during a period of time. Likewise, frequency statistics may be recorded for other measured or calculated data, such as but not limited to, battery temperature measurements and charge/discharge current measurements.

For example, battery usage1002 represents the distribution of voltage measurements taken during the life of a battery pack. Battery usage1002 may indicate ordinary or proper usage of a battery pack, having the highest frequency of measurements between 3.0 V and 3.2 V. In contrast, battery usage1004 may indicate more unfavorable usage.

Histograms, such as those displayed inFIG. 10, may be useful to a manufacturer or seller in determining the extent of improper or uncovered usage of a battery pack. In an embodiment, the distribution data may also be used for analysis and diagnosis of battery pack defects and warranty claims.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example warranty tracker according to an embodiment.Warranty tracker1110 includes aprocessor1112, amemory1114, a batteryvoltage measurement circuit1116, and a batterytemperature measurement circuit1118. The batteryvoltage measurement circuit1116 and the batterytemperature measurement circuit1118 may be implemented as a single circuit or as separate circuits disposed on a printed circuit board. In some embodiments, such as those detailed above with respect toFIGS. 2 and 4, each battery module disposed in a battery pack may be coupled to a battery module controller that includes a battery voltage measurement circuitry as well as battery temperature measurement circuitry. In these embodiments, theprocessor1112 andmemory1114 ofexample warranty tracker1110 may be part of or implemented within a battery pack controller, such asbattery pack controller300 ofFIG. 3. Thus,warranty tracker1110 may be part of or implemented within a distributed battery management system, such as described with respect toFIG. 5.

In various embodiments, voltage may be measured as an aggregate voltage or average voltage of the battery cells or battery modules contained within the battery pack. Batterytemperature measurement circuit1118 may include one or more temperature sensors to periodically measure battery cell temperatures or battery module temperatures within the battery pack and send an aggregate or average temperature measurement toprocessor1112.

In an embodiment,processor1112 also receives periodic electric current measurements from batterycurrent measurement circuit1122. Batterycurrent measurement circuit1122 may be external towarranty tracker1110. For example, batterycurrent measurement circuit1122 may reside withstring controller1120.String controller1120 may be part of an electrical storage unit, as described with respect to FIG.5, and may control a subset of battery packs. In another embodiment, batterycurrent measurement circuit1122 may be part ofwarranty tracker1110.

Processor1112 may compute warranty values based on received voltage, temperature, and electric current measurements. In an embodiment, each warranty value represents battery usage at the time the received measurements were recorded. Once received, measurements may be converted to associated factors for use in calculating a warranty value. For example, a voltage measurement received from batteryvoltage measurement circuit1116 may be converted to a corresponding voltage factor as described with respect toFIG. 8. Similarly, received temperature measurements and electric current measurements may be converted to corresponding temperature and current factors as described with respect toFIGS. 6 and 7.

In an embodiment,processor1112 may calculate a warranty value by multiplying the voltage factor, temperature factor, and current factor together. For example, the current factor may be 0 when a battery pack is neither charging nor discharging. The calculated warranty value will therefore also be 0, indicating that no usage is occurring. In another example, when battery temperature and voltage are at optimal levels, the corresponding temperature and voltage factors may be 1. The calculated warranty value will then be equal to the current factor corresponding to the measured electric current. When all factors are greater than zero, the warranty value indicates battery usage based on each of the voltage, temperature, and electric current measurements.

As described previously, additional measured or calculated data may also be used in the calculation of a warranty value. A warranty value may also be calculated based on any combination voltage, temperature, and current factors, according to an embodiment.

While a warranty value represents battery usage at a point in time, a warranty for a battery pack is based on battery usage for the life of the battery pack (which may be defined by the manufacturer of the battery pack). In an embodiment,memory1114 stores a cumulative warranty value that represents battery usage over the life of the battery pack. Each time a warranty value is calculated,processor1112 may add the warranty value to the cumulative warranty value stored inmemory1114. The cumulative warranty value may then be used to determine whether the battery pack warranty is active or expired.

FIG. 12 is an example method for calculating and storing a cumulative warranty value according to an embodiment. Each stage of the example method may represent a computer-readable instruction stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage device, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform one or more operations.

Method1200 begins atstage1204 by measuring battery cell voltages within a battery pack. In an embodiment, battery cell voltage measurements for different battery cells or battery modules may be aggregated or averaged across a battery pack. Atstage1206, battery cell temperatures may be measured. In an embodiment, battery cell temperature measurements for different battery cells or battery modules may be aggregated or averaged across a battery pack. Atstage1208, an electric charge/discharge current measurement may be received.Stages1204,1206, and1208 may be performed concurrently or in any order.

Atstage1210, a warranty value is calculated using the measured battery voltage, measured battery temperature, and received electric current measurement. In an embodiment, each warranty value represents battery usage at the time the measurements were recorded. Once received, measurements may be converted to associated factors for use in calculating a warranty value. For example, a voltage measurement may be converted to a corresponding voltage factor as described with respect toFIG. 8. Similarly, temperature measurements and received electric current measurements may be converted to corresponding temperature and current factors as described with respect toFIGS. 6 and 7.

In an embodiment, a warranty value may be calculated by multiplying the voltage factor, temperature factor, and current factor together. For example, the current factor may be 0 when a battery pack is neither charging nor discharging. The calculated warranty value will therefore also be 0, indicating that no usage is occurring. In another example, when battery temperature and voltage are at optimal levels, the corresponding temperature and voltage factors may be 1. The calculated warranty value will then be equal to the current factor corresponding to the measured electric current. When all factors are greater than zero, the warranty value indicates battery usage based on each of the voltage, temperature, and electric current measurements.

As described previously, additional measured or calculated data may also be used in the calculation of a warranty value. A warranty value may also be calculated based on any combination voltage, temperature, and current factors, according to an embodiment.

Atstage1212, the calculated warranty value is added to a stored cumulative warranty value. In an embodiment the cumulative warranty value may be stored within the battery pack. In other embodiments, the cumulative warranty value may be stored external to the battery pack. The cumulative warranty value may then be used to determine whether the battery pack warranty is active or expired, as will be discussed further with respect toFIGS. 13 and 14.

FIG. 13 is an example method for using a warranty tracker according to an embodiment. Each stage of the example method may represent a computer-readable instruction stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage device, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform one or more operations.FIG. 13 begins atstage1302 when a warning or alert is received indicating that a battery pack has an operating issue or is otherwise defective. In an embodiment, the alert may be issued as an email or other electronic communication to an operator responsible for monitoring the battery pack. In other embodiments, warnings or alerts may be audial or visual alerts, for example, a flashing red light on the defective battery pack, such as the warnings described above with respect tostatus button108 ofFIGS. 1A and 1B.

Atstage1304, the cumulative warranty value stored in the defective battery pack is compared to a predefined threshold value. This threshold value may be set to provide a certain warranty period based on normal usage of the battery pack. For example, the threshold may be set such that a battery pack may be covered under warranty for 10 years based on normal usage. In this manner, aggressive usage of the battery pack may reduce the active warranty period for the battery pack.

Atstage1306, it is determined whether the stored cumulative warranty value exceeds the predefined threshold value. If the stored cumulative value exceeds the predefined threshold value,method1300 proceeds tostage1308. Atstage1308, the warranty for the battery pack is determined to be expired. If the stored cumulative value does not exceed the threshold value, the method ends, indicating that the battery pack warranty has not expired.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example battery pack and associated warranty information according to an embodiment. When a battery pack is reported to be defective, analysis of warranty information may be conducted. As illustrated inFIG. 14,battery pack1404 resides in anelectrical storage unit1402, similar to that ofelectrical storage unit500 ofFIG. 5. In response to an alert thatbattery pack1404 is defective,battery pack1404 may be removed fromelectrical storage unit1402 for analysis.

In an embodiment,battery pack1404 may be connected to a computing device withdisplay1406. In this manner, the battery pack operator, seller, or manufacturer may be able to view various warranty information and status in order to determine which party is financially responsible for repairingbattery pack1404. In the example illustrated inFIG. 14, a warranty threshold value may be set to 500,000,000, and the cumulative warranty value of the battery pack is 500,000,049. Because the cumulative warranty value exceeds the warranty threshold, the battery pack warranty is determined to be expired, and the battery pack operator or owner should be financially responsible for repairs.

In an embodiment, warranty information forbattery pack1404 may be viewed without physically removingbattery pack1404 fromelectrical storage unit1402. For example, stored warranty information may be sent via accessible networks to a device or data center external tobattery pack1404 for analysis, such as described below inFIGS. 15-16.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating an example battery energy storage system (BESS)1502 according to an embodiment.BESS1502 may be coupled to energy management system (EMS)1526 viacommunication network1522.Communication network1522 may be any type of communication network, including (but not limited to) the Internet, a cellular telephone network, etc. Other devices coupled tocommunication network1522, such ascomputers1528, may also communicate withBESS1502. For example,computers1528 may be disposed at the manufacturer ofBESS1502 to maintain (monitor, run diagnostic tests, etc.)BESS1502. In other embodiments,computers1528 may represent mobile devices of field technicians that perform maintenance onBESS1502. As shown inFIG. 15, communications to and fromBESS1502 may be encrypted to enhance security.

Field monitoring device1524 may also be coupled toEMS1526 viacommunication network1522.Field monitoring device1524 may be coupled to an alternative energy source (e.g., a solar plant, a wind plant, etc.) to measure the energy generated by the alternative energy source. Likewise,monitoring device1518 may be coupled toBESS1502 and measure the energy generated byBESS1502. While two monitoring devices are illustrated inFIG. 15, a person of skill in the art would recognize that additional monitoring devices that measure the energy generated by energy sources (conventional and/or alternative energy sources) may be connected tocommunication network1522 in a similar manner. A human operator and/or a computerized system atEMS1526 can analyze and monitor the output of the monitoring devices connected tocommunication network1522, and remotely control the operation ofBESS1502. For example,EMS1526 may instructBESS1502 to charge (draw energy from power grid via PCS1520) or discharge (provide energy to power grid via PCS1520) as needed (e.g., to meet demand, stabilize line frequency, etc.).

BESS1502 includes a hierarchy of control levels for controllingBESS1502. The control levels ofBESS1502, starting with the top level are system controller, array controller, string controller, battery pack controller, and battery module controller. For example,system controller1512 may be coupled to one or more array controllers (e.g., array controller1508), each of which may be coupled to one or more string controllers (e.g., string controller1504), each of which may be coupled to one or more battery pack controllers, each of which may be coupled to one or more battery module controllers. Battery pack controllers and battery modules controllers are disposed with battery packs1506(a)-1506(n), as was discussed in detail with respect toFIGS. 26-29 above.

As shown inFIG. 15,system controller1512 is coupled tomonitoring device1518 via communication link1516(a), tocommunication network1522 via communication link1516(b), and toPCS1520 via communication link1516(c). InFIG. 15, communication links1516(a)-(c) are MOD busses, but any wired and wireless communication link may be used. In an embodiment,system controller1512 is also connected tocommunication network1522, for example by a TCP/IP connection or other wired or wireless link.

System controller1512 can monitor and report the operation ofBESS1502 toEMS1526 or any other device connected tocommunication network1522 and configured to communicate withBESS1502.System controller1512 can also receive and process instructions fromEMS1526, and relay instructions to an appropriate array controller (e.g., array controller1508) for execution.System controller1512 may also communicate withPCS1520, which may be coupled to the power grid, to control the charging and discharging ofBESS1502. Althoughsystem controller1512 is shown disposed withinBESS1502 inFIG. 15,system controller1512 may be disposed outside of and communicatively coupled toBESS1502 in other embodiments.

In an embodiment,system controller1512 is coupled toarray controller1508 via a communication link. For example, this communication link may be a TCP/IP link or other wired or wireless communication link.Array controller1508 is coupled to one or more string controllers, such asstring controller1504 viacommunication link1510. WhileFIG. 15 depicts three string controllers (SC(1)-(3)) more or less string controllers may be coupled toarray controller1508. InFIG. 15,communication link1510 is depicted as CAN bus, but other wired or wireless communication links may be used.

Each string controller inBESS1502 is coupled to one or more battery packs. For example,string controller1504 is coupled to battery packs1506(a)-(n), which are connected in series to form a battery pack string. Any number of battery packs may be connected together to form a battery pack string. Strings of battery packs can be connected in parallel inBESS1502. Two or more battery pack strings connected in parallel may be referred to as an array of battery packs or a battery pack array. In one embodiment,BESS1502 includes an array of battery packs having six battery pack strings connected in parallel, where each of the battery pack strings has 22 battery packs connected in series.

As its name suggests, a string controller may monitor and control the battery packs in the battery pack string. The functions performed by a string controller may include, but are not limited to, the following: issuing battery string contactor control commands, measuring battery string voltage; measuring battery string current; calculating battery string Amp-hour count; relaying queries between a system controller (e.g., at charging station) and battery pack controllers; processing query response messages; aggregating battery string data; performing software device ID assignment to the battery packs; detecting ground fault current in the battery string; and detect alarm and warning conditions and taking appropriate corrective actions. Example embodiments of a string controller are described below with respect toFIGS. 30, 31A, and 31B.

Likewise, an array controller may monitor and control a battery pack array. The functions performed by an array controller may include, but are not limited to, the following: sending status queries to battery pack strings, receiving and processing query responses from battery pack strings, performing battery pack string contactor control, broadcasting battery pack array data to the system controller, processing alarm messages to determine necessary actions, responding to manual commands or queries from a command line interface (e.g., at an EMS), allowing a technician to set or change the configuration settings using the command line interface, running test scripts composed of the same commands and queries understood by the command line interpreter, and broadcasting data generated by test scripts to a data server for collection.

Additionally, in an embodiment,array controller1508 may be coupled to adata center1530 vianetwork1522. As discussed above, battery packs1506(a)-(n) may measure battery attributes such as battery cell voltage, cell temperature, and electric current using various sensors within or attached to each battery pack.Array controller1506 may monitor and receive measurements from battery packs1506(a)-(n) periodically, for example every 30 seconds. Each battery pack1506(a)-1506(n) may also compute a warranty value at each interval, as discussed above with respect toFIGS. 6-9. These computed warranty values may be sent toarray controller1508 for tracking and/or analysis. In an embodiment,array controller1508 may further send the data received from battery packs1506(a)-(n) tosystem controller1512 for tracking and/or analysis.

In an embodiment,array controller1508 includes a network interface for establishing a data connection tonetwork1522.Array controller1508 may then periodically transmit measurement data received from battery packs1506(a)-(n) and computed warranty values todata center1530 vianetwork1522 for further analysis. In an embodiment,system controller1512 may also include a network interface for establishing a data connection tonetwork1522, andsystem controller1512 may alternatively transmit the measurement data received from battery packs1506(a)-(n) and computed warranty values todata center1530. As described above, each battery pack1506(a)-(n) may have an associated warranty that warrants the performance of the battery pack.Data center1530 may function to analyze and enforce these warranties, as will be described in further detail with respect toFIG. 16.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating an example system for monitoring battery usage data for battery packs maintained within a battery energy storage system (BESS), according to an embodiment. As discussed above,BESS1610 may include a plurality of battery packs that arranged into strings and arrays.BESS1610 may be coupled to adata center1630 and may periodically receive collected battery usage data fromBESS1610. In an embodiment, array controllers1612(a)-(n) (each controlling an array of battery packs within BESS1610) may periodically transmit battery usage data todata center1630 for storage and analysis. Alternatively, a system controller withinBESS1610 may receive battery usage data from array controllers1612(a)-(n) and transmit the data todata center1630. In an embodiment, the battery usage data may include battery cell voltage measurements, cell temperature measurements, electric current measurements, computed warranty values, or any other calculated usage value or usage statistic. These measurements are discussed in detail above with respect toFIGS. 6-9. In an embodiment, battery usage data may also include battery identification information, such as but not limited to, a battery serial number, a date and/or time of data collection, manufacturer and model information, and project, location, or other BESS identification information.

In an embodiment,data center1630 may include adata controller1632, awarranty database1634, and aweb server1636. In an alternative embodiment,web server1636 may be located external todata center1630 and coupled to the data center via a data network, such asnetwork1522 ofFIG. 15.Data controller1632 andwarranty database1634 may reside on the same of different computing devices, forexample computing device1700 ofFIG. 17.

In an embodiment,warranty database1634 may store battery usage data for a plurality of battery packs, such as those contained inBESS1610 and third-party BESS1650. Each battery pack may be part of a project, andwarranty database1634 may be partitioned by project to simplify access permissions to data stored within the database. A project typically refers to a physical location where battery packs are deployed and maintained, for example, a BESS such asBESS1610 or third-party BESS1650. A project may also refer to a group of related battery energy storage systems, or any other logical grouping of deployed battery packs. In an embodiment,warranty database1634 may be partitioned by creating logical divisions within a single database instance. Additionally or alternatively,warranty database1634 may include multiple database instances each corresponding to a particular project.

In an embodiment, battery usage data transmitted by array controllers1612(a)-(n) for battery packs withinBESS1610 may be received atdata center1630 bydata controller1632. Battery identification information contained within the battery usage data may then be examined to determine a project to which each battery pack belongs. The received battery usage data can then be analyzed bydata controller1632 for purposes of monitoring a warranty for each battery pack.

As described above, battery sensor measurements, such as voltage, temperature, and electric current measurements, can be used to compute a warranty value indicating overall battery usage for a given period of time. This computed warranty value may be added to a stored cumulative warranty value for the battery pack, representing the battery pack's lifetime overall usage. In an embodiment, a warranty on the battery pack may include a predefined warranty threshold. Whendata controller1632 receives the cumulative warranty value for a battery pack,data controller1632 may compare the received warranty value to the warranty threshold to determine whether a warranty exception has occurred. If the received warranty value exceeds the warranty threshold, a warranty exception has occurred and this status and detail may be stored inwarranty database1634. This exception may void the warranty on the battery pack and/or causedata controller1632 to generate a notification, such as an email, to the owner/operator of the battery pack informing that an exception has occurred. In an embodiment,data controller1632 may initially receive the computed warranty value for the battery pack over a given period of time, rather than the cumulative warranty value. In this case,data controller1632 may add the warranty value to a stored cumulative warranty value (e.g., stored in warranty database1634) prior to comparing the cumulative warranty value to the warranty threshold.

In an embodiment, the battery pack warranty may also include maximum and minimum thresholds for battery sensor measurements, such as voltage, temperature, and electric current thresholds.Warranty database1634 may track the maximum and minimum battery sensor values for each battery pack. When battery usage data is received bydata controller1632, each received battery sensor measurement may be compared to the corresponding maximum and minimum thresholds defined by the warranty. If the measurement value is above the corresponding maximum threshold or below the minimum thresholds,data controller1632 may determine that a warranty exception has occurred. This exception may void the battery pack warranty and/or causedata controller1632 to generate a notification to the owner/operator of the battery pack informing that an exception has occurred. In this manner,data controller1632 enables warranties to be placed on the performance of a battery pack by enabling a warranty provider to monitor not only the overall usage of a battery pack, but also the manner in which the battery pack was used.

In an embodiment,data controller1632 may periodically generate a report including battery usage data store in the warranty database and an exception status for each battery pack. This report may be transmitted to a party servicing a battery pack warranty, for example a manufacturer of the battery pack or an insurance company. By partitioningwarranty database1632 by project, a party could choose to service a particular project, and reports may be be generated on a project basis and sent to the servicing party.

Warranty database1634 may be any type of structured data store, such as a relational, document-oriented, or object-oriented database. In an embodiment,warranty database1634 may maintain a normalized database schema in order to reduce data redundancy and memory storage requirements.Data controller1632 may format received battery usage data according the data schema ofwarranty database1634 before storing the data. Alternatively, the battery usage data may already conform to the data schema ofwarranty database1634 upon receipt bydata controller1632.

In order to optimize the storage requirements ofwarranty database1634, according to an embodiment,warranty database1634 may employ fixed-size or variable-size counters to track received battery usage data. Each counter may correspond to a particular battery usage attribute, and further to a particular range of values. For example, as described with respect toFIG. 10,warranty database1634 may include counters for ranges of battery cell voltage measurement values, such as 2.0 V-2.2 V, 2.2 V-2.4 V, etc. When a battery cell voltage measurement is received bydata controller1632, the data controller may correlate the measurement value to one of the predefined ranges of measurement values. The counter corresponding to the determined range may then be incremented without storing the received voltage measurement. In this manner, the storage required bywarranty database1632 does not increase as battery usage data for existing projects and battery packs are received (or may increase by a negligible amount in the case of variable-length counters). In an embodiment,data controller1632 receives the battery usage data already in the form of fixed- or variable-size counter values, which may simply be added to the existing counter values inwarranty database1634.

Web server1636 allows a user to access and view data stored inwarranty database1634. In an embodiment,web server1636 may provide a graphical user interface (GUI)1640 to users to monitor associated projects and battery packs.GUI1640 may be displayed on a client computing device, such ascomputing device1700 ofFIG. 17, which may be coupled toweb server1636 via a data network, such asnetwork1522 ofFIG. 15. An example GUI is described below inFIGS. 18-29. Various types of users may useGUI1640 to view battery usage data, such as an owner or operator of a battery pack or a warranty/insurance provider for a battery pack. The monitoring provided byGUI1640 allows identification of warranty violations and may avoid disputes by verifying battery usage and determining which parties are at fault.

Web server1636 may service requests from users to access data stored inwarranty database1632. Upon receiving a request,web server1636 may verify that the requested battery usage data is authorized to be access by the requesting user. In various embodiments, users may be granted access to data related to particular battery packs, storage systems, or projects. Ifweb server1636 determines that the user is authorized to access the requested data, the data is retrieved and provided to the user in the GUI.

As described previously,BESS1610 includes array controllers and/or a system controller that may receive battery usage data from managed battery packs and transmit the data todata center1630. However, third-party systems may not include this functionality, such as third-party BESS1650 illustrated inFIG. 16. In this case, a batteryusage collection device1620 may be employed to gather battery usage data from third-party BESS1650 and then transmit the data todata controller1632 ofdata center1630.

Batteryusage collection device1620 may be a computing device such ascomputing device1700 ofFIG. 17. This device may be used to retrofit existing battery energy storage systems to collect and transmit battery usage data todata center1630. In an embodiment, batteryusage collection device1620 may be connected to third-party BESS1650 via a hard-wired data connection. Alternatively, batteryusage collection device1620 and third-party BESS1650 may be connected via a local area network (LAN).

Third-party BESS1650 may include processes and battery pack sensors to collect, access, and/or output various battery usage statistics, such as battery cell voltage, temperature, or electric current. Batteryusage collection device1620 takes advantage of these processes to collect battery usage data and transmit the collected data todata center1630. In an embodiment, batteryusage collection device1620 includeswarranty daemon1622 and data storage1624.Warranty daemon1622 may monitor third-party BESS1650 for recorded battery usage data. This battery usage data may include battery identification information for and battery sensor measurements over a period of time for each battery pack contained within third-party BESS1650, as described with respect toBESS1610.

Because the core of third-party BESS1650 may not be modified in most cases,warranty daemon1622 handles calculations that may otherwise have been performed byBESS1610. For example, oncewarranty daemon1622 receives battery usage data fromBESS1650,warranty daemon1622 may compute a warranty value for each batter back based on the battery usage data and included battery sensor measurements, as described above. In an embodiment, warranty daemon may store the received battery usage data and computed warranty value in data store1624 and transmit this information todata center1630 at a later time. For instance,warranty daemon1622 may receive battery usage data once an hour, store this information in data store1624, and transmit the stored data once a day todata center1630. Alternatively,warranty daemon1622 may stream battery usage data todata center1630 as it is received from third-party BESS1650.

In an embodiment,warranty daemon1622 may perform similar functions asdata controller1632 to optimize storage and transmission requirements of received battery usage data. For example,warranty daemon1622 may correlate received battery sensor measurement values to predefined ranges of measurement values for storage and transmission todata center1630. In this case, data store1624 may employ fixed-size or variable-size counters for each predefined range of values to track received battery sensor measurements. A counter may also be used to track and accumulate warranty values computed bywarranty daemon1622. Tracking these counter values at batteryusage collection device1620 may provide smaller size data transmissions todata center1630 compared with transmitting raw, log-style recorded usage data. In an embodiment,warranty daemon1622 may also normalize received battery usage data according to a predefined format, for example, data units and formats used bywarranty database1634.

In an embodiment, third-party BESS1650 may periodically output recorded battery usage data for contained battery packs to a data file. In an embodiment, the data file may be a text file, but one of ordinary skill will appreciate that the battery usage data could be output to any type of readable data file.Warranty daemon1622 may periodically monitor this file or a location containing this file for newly recorded data. When a change is detected,warranty daemon1622 may open the data file and parse the file according to predefined rules to extract the new battery usage data. In various embodiments, the parsing rules may be defined manually as part of initialization of batteryusage collection device1620, or automatically based on analysis of the data file format. In an embodiment, third-party BESS1650 may also provide an application programming interface (API) to access battery usage data. The battery usage data may be recorded to a database or other storage for access by the API, or the API may provide direct access to battery usage data in real-time or near real-time, such as streaming data as the data is measured or computed. In an embodiment, the API may enable battery usage measurements or statistics to be captured ad-hoc via an API request. In this manner,warranty daemon1622 may use this API to retrieve new battery usage data. Thus,warranty daemon1622 may be adapted to obtain battery usage data from a variety of existing battery energy storage systems having different architectures and capabilities.

FIG. 17 is an example computing system useful for implementing various embodiments. Various embodiments can be implemented, for example, using one or more well-known computer systems, such ascomputer system1700.Computer system1700 can be any well-known computer capable of performing the functions described herein, such as computers available from International Business Machines, Apple, Sun, HP, Dell, Sony, Toshiba, etc.

Computer system1700 includes one or more processors (also called central processing units, or CPUs), such as aprocessor1704.Processor1704 may be connected to a communication infrastructure orbus1706.

One ormore processors1704 may each be a graphics processing unit (GPU). In an embodiment, a GPU is a processor that is a specialized electronic circuit designed to rapidly process mathematically intensive applications on electronic devices. The GPU may have a highly parallel structure that is efficient for parallel processing of large blocks of data, such as mathematically intensive data common to computer graphics applications, images and videos.

Computer system1700 also includes user input/output device(s)1703, such as monitors, keyboards, pointing devices, etc., which communicate withcommunication infrastructure1706 through user input/output interface(s)1702.

Computer system1700 also includes a main orprimary memory1708, such as random access memory (RAM).Main memory1708 may include one or more levels of cache.Main memory1708 may have stored therein control logic (i.e., computer software) and/or data.

Computer system1700 may also include one or more secondary storage devices ormemory1710.Secondary memory1710 may include, for example, ahard disk drive1712 and/or a removable storage device or drive1714. Removable storage drive1714 may be a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, a compact disk drive, an optical storage device, tape backup device, and/or any other storage device/drive.

Removable storage drive1714 may interact with aremovable storage unit1718.Removable storage unit1718 includes a computer usable or readable storage device having stored thereon computer software (control logic) and/or data.Removable storage unit1718 may be a floppy disk, magnetic tape, compact disk, DVD, optical storage disk, and/or any other computer data storage device. Removable storage drive1714 reads from and/or writes toremovable storage unit1718 in a well-known manner.

According to an exemplary embodiment,secondary memory1710 may include other means, instrumentalities, or other approaches for allowing computer programs and/or other instructions and/or data to be accessed bycomputer system1700. Such means, instrumentalities, or other approaches may include, for example, aremovable storage unit1722 and aninterface1720. Examples of theremovable storage unit1722 and theinterface1720 may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as that found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an EPROM or PROM) and associated socket, a memory stick and USB port, a memory card and associated memory card slot, and/or any other removable storage unit and associated interface.

Computer system1700 may further include a communication ornetwork interface1724.Communication interface1724 enablescomputer system1700 to communicate and interact with any combination of remote devices, remote networks, remote entities, etc. (individually and collectively referenced by reference number1728). For example,communication interface1724 may allowcomputer system1700 to communicate with remote devices1728 overcommunications path1726, which may be wired and/or wireless, and which may include any combination of LANs, WANs, the Internet, etc. Control logic and/or data may be transmitted to and fromcomputer system1700 viacommunication path1726.

In an embodiment, a tangible apparatus or article of manufacture comprising a tangible computer useable or readable medium having control logic (software) stored thereon is also referred to herein as a computer program product or program storage device. This includes, but is not limited to,computer system1700,main memory1708,secondary memory1710, andremovable storage units1718 and1722, as well as tangible articles of manufacture embodying any combination of the foregoing. Such control logic, when executed by one or more data processing devices (such as computer system1700), causes such data processing devices to operate as described herein.

FIG. 18 is anexample user interface1800 for logging into a battery pack warranty application, according to an embodiment.User interface1800 includesmenu panel1802 andlogin panel1804.Login panel1804 requires a user to enter a username and password, as well as a project they desire to access. In an embodiment, the user must be authorized to access the entered project in order for the login to be successful.

FIG. 19 is anexample user interface1900 illustrating an authentication failure, according to an embodiment.User interface1900 includesmenu panel1902 andalert panel1904. In an embodiment, when a user attempts to access a portion of the user interface to which the user is not authorized, an “Access Denied” message may be displayed to the user.

FIG. 20 is anexample user interface2000 for selecting to change a user password, according to an embodiment.User interface2000 includesmenu panel2002 andlanding panel2004. In an embodiment, landingpanel2004 may appear after a user logs in and enable the user to quickly change his or her password.

FIG. 21 is anexample user interface2100 for changing a user password, according to an embodiment.User interface2100 includesmenu panel2102 andpassword panel2104. In an embodiment,password panel2104 allows a user to change his or her password by clicking the “Submit Account Change” button.

FIG. 22 is anexample user interface2200 for selecting a project to access, according to an embodiment.User interface2200 includesmenu panel2202,projects panel2204, andlocator panel2206. In an embodiment, a user may select a project to view inprojects panel2204.Projects panel2204 may only display projects that the user is authorized to access for convenience, but a user may search for another project in the “Project Name” text field. In an embodiment, a user may also find a project by searching for a specific battery pack inlocator panel2206.

FIG. 23 is anexample user interface2300 for viewing battery pack status and usage data, according to an embodiment.User interface2300 includesmenu panel2302, batterypack identification panel2304,warranty status panel2306, and in-service panel2308. In an embodiment, batterypack identification panel2304 may display battery identification information, such as battery identification information described above with respect toFIGS. 15 and 16.Warranty status panel2306 may display a cumulative warranty value for the battery pack, as well as other values related to warranty conditions for determining whether a battery warranty is valid. Finally, in-service panel2308 displays information as to whether the battery is currently operating, and whether reporting status for the battery pack has been received at expected intervals.

FIG. 24 is anexample user interface2400 for viewing historical battery usage data, according to an embodiment.User interface2400 includesmenu panel2402 and battery packusage history panel2404. In an embodiment, battery packusage history panel2404 displays histograms of various battery sensor measurements and calculated values. For example, histograms are shown inFIG. 24 for average cell voltage, average cell temperature, cell current history, and cell power (voltage) history. In an embodiment, these histograms are constructed from counter values stored in a warranty database, such as described with respect towarranty database1634 ofFIG. 16.

FIG. 25 is anexample user interface2500 for viewing battery pack exceptions, according to an embodiment.User interface2500 includesmenu panel2502 andexception panel2504. In an embodiment, exception panel displays detected exceptions for a battery pack. Exceptions may be determined by comparing battery usage data to exception conditions, such as those described with respect toFIG. 16. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 25 forserial number 4977540568, both a late received report of usage data and a cell voltage higher than a predefined threshold may create an exception to the battery pack warranty.

FIG. 26 is anexample user interface2600 for transferring a battery pack between projects, according to an embodiment.User interface2600 includesmenu panel2602,battery pack panel2604, andtarget project panel2606. In an embodiment, a user with permission to transfer a battery pack from one project to another may select a battery pack frombattery pack panel2604 to transfer to a selected project intarget project panel2606. This may occur, for example, if a battery pack is sold or physically moved to a new location.

FIG. 27 is an exampleadministrative user interface2700 for assigning task permissions, according to an embodiment.User interface2700 includesmenu panel2702 and accountadministration panel2704. In an embodiment,account administration panel2704 may enable an administrator to assign task permissions to users, for example, transfer and account administration task permissions.

FIG. 28 is an exampleadministrative user interface2800 for creating a new user account, according to an embodiment.User interface2800 includesmenu panel2802,new user panel2804,page permissions panel2806, andproject permissions panel2808. In an embodiment,new user panel2804 enables an administrator to create a new user account, and specific page permissions and authorization to access particular projects may be specified inpanels2806 and2808.

FIG. 29 is anexample user interface2900 for editing a user account, according to an embodiment.User interface2900 includesmenu panel2902, edituser panel2904,page permissions panel2906, andproject permissions panel2908.Interface2900 enables an administrator to perform the same functions for an existing user as described with respect tointerface2800 ofFIG. 28 for a new user.

FIG. 30 is anexample method3000 for receiving and storing battery usage data, according to an embodiment. Each stage of the example method may represent a computer-readable instruction stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage device, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform one or more operations.Method3000 begins atstage3002 when battery usage data is received from a battery energy storage system (BESS), such asBESS1502 ofFIG. 15. In an embodiment, this battery usage data may include battery cell voltage, temperature, and/or electric current measurements, as discussed with respect toFIGS. 6-9. The battery usage data may further include computed warranty values or other calculated usage values or usage statistics, as discussed with respect toFIGS. 6-9, and battery identification information, such as but not limited to, a battery serial number, a date and/or time of data collection, manufacturer and model information, and project, location, or other BESS identification information.

Atstage3004, a project to which the battery pack belongs may be determined based on the received battery identification information. In an embodiment, a project refers to a physical location where battery packs are deployed and maintained, for example, a BESS such asBESS1502 ofFIG. 15. A project may also refer to a group of related battery energy storage systems, or any other logical grouping of deployed battery packs.

Atstage3006, the battery usage data may be stored in a warranty database, such aswarranty database1634 ofFIG. 16. In an embodiment, the warranty database may be partitioned by project to simplify access permissions to data stored within the database, and the battery usage data may be stored in a database partition for the determined project.

Embodiments disclosed herein have been described above with the aid of functional building blocks illustrating the implementation of specified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed. Also, Identifiers, such as “(a),” “(b),” “(i),” “(ii),” etc., are sometimes used for different elements or steps. These identifiers are used for clarity and do not necessarily designate an order for the elements or steps.

The foregoing description of specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the disclosure that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present disclosure. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance.

The breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims (20)

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:

a battery energy storage system comprising:

a plurality of battery packs, each battery pack including:

a battery voltage measurement circuit configured to measure a voltage of the battery pack; and

a battery temperature measurement circuit configured to measure a temperature of the battery pack;

a string controller coupled to the plurality of battery packs and configured to:

measure an electric current associated with each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs; and

control charging and discharging of the plurality of battery packs; and

an array controller coupled to the string controller and configured to instruct the string controller to charge and discharge the plurality of battery packs based on a plurality of battery sensor measurements over a period of time for each of the plurality of battery packs, wherein the plurality of battery sensor measurements are measured by at least one of the battery voltage measurement circuit, the battery temperature measurement circuit, and the string controller;

a warranty database, implemented on one or more computing devices, configured to store battery usage data for the plurality of battery packs, wherein each battery pack is part of a project, and wherein the warranty database is partitioned by project; and

a data controller, implemented on the one or more computing devices, configured to, for each of the plurality of battery packs:

receive battery usage data from the battery energy storage system comprising the plurality of battery packs, the battery usage data including battery identification information, the plurality of battery sensor measurements for the battery pack, and a cumulative warranty value for the battery pack;

determine a project to which the battery pack belongs based on the received battery identification information; and

store the battery usage data in the warranty database in a partition of the warranty database for the determined project.

2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the data controller is further configured to:

compare the received warranty value to a warranty threshold;

determine that a warranty exception has occurred when the received warranty value exceeds the warranty threshold; and

store the exception in the warranty database.

3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the data controller is further configured to:

compare the plurality of battery sensor measurements for the battery pack to a maximum and a minimum sensor threshold;

determine that a warranty exception has occurred when one of the battery sensor measurements is above the maximum sensor threshold or below the minimum sensor threshold; and

store the exception in the warranty database.

4. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

a web server configured to:

receive a request from a user for battery usage data stored in the warranty database;

verify that the requested battery usage data is authorized to be accessed by the user; and

provide the stored battery usage data to a graphical user interface upon verifying that the requested battery usage data is authorized to be accessed.

5. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of battery sensor measurements include one or more electric current measurements, one or more temperature measurements and one or more voltage measurements.

6. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the array controller is further configured to transmit the battery usage data to the data controller.

7. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

a battery usage collection device comprising:

a memory configured to store battery usage data for the plurality of battery packs; and

a warranty daemon configured to, for each battery pack:

receive battery usage data for the battery pack, wherein the battery usage collection device is connected to the battery energy storage system, and wherein the battery usage data includes battery identification information and the plurality of battery sensor measurements for the battery pack;

compute the warranty value for the battery pack based on the received battery sensor measurements;

store the battery usage data and the computed warranty value in the memory; and

transmit the stored battery usage data and the computed warranty value to the data controller via a data network.

8. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the data controller is further configured to, for each of the plurality of battery packs:

periodically generate a report including battery usage data stored in the warranty database for the battery pack and an exception status for the battery pack; and

transmit the report to a party servicing a warranty for the battery pack.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of battery sensor measurements over a period of time for each of a plurality of battery packs stored in a battery energy storage system, wherein the plurality of battery sensor measurements are measured by at least one of a battery voltage measurement circuit, a battery temperature measurement circuit, and an electric current measurement circuit;

controlling, by a string controller of the battery energy storage system, charging and discharging of the plurality of battery packs;

instructing, by an array controller of the battery energy storage system, the string controller to charge and discharge the plurality of battery packs based on the plurality of battery sensor measurements;

receiving, for each of the plurality of battery packs, battery usage data from the battery energy storage system, the battery usage data including battery identification information, the plurality of battery sensor measurements for the battery pack, and a cumulative warranty value for the battery pack;

determining, for each of the plurality of battery packs, a project to which the battery pack belongs based on the received battery identification information; and

storing the battery usage data in a warranty database, wherein the warranty database is partitioned by project, and wherein the battery usage data is stored in a partition of the warranty database for the determined project.

10. The method ofclaim 9, further comprising:

comparing the received warranty value to a warranty threshold;

determining that a warranty exception has occurred when the received warranty value exceeds the warranty threshold; and

storing the exception in the warranty database.

11. The method ofclaim 9, further comprising:

comparing the plurality of battery sensor measurements for the battery pack to a maximum and a minimum sensor threshold;

determining that a warranty exception has occurred when one of the battery sensor measurements is above the maximum sensor threshold or below the minimum sensor threshold; and

storing the exception in the warranty database.

12. The method ofclaim 9, further comprising:

receiving a request from a user for battery usage data stored in the warranty database;

verifying that the requested battery usage data is authorized to be accessed by the user; and

providing the stored battery usage data to a graphical user interface upon verifying that the requested battery usage data is authorized to be accessed.

13. The method ofclaim 9, wherein the plurality of battery sensor measurements include one or more electric current measurements, one or more temperature measurements and one or more voltage measurements.

14. The method ofclaim 9, further comprising, for each of the plurality of battery packs: periodically generating a report including battery usage data stored in the warranty database for the battery pack and an exception status far the battery pack; and transmitting the report to a party servicing a warranty for the battery pack.

15. A system, comprising:

a battery energy storage system comprising:

a plurality of battery packs, each battery pack including:

a battery voltage measurement circuit configured to measure a voltage of the battery pack; and

a battery temperature measurement circuit configured to measure a temperature of the battery pack;

a string controller coupled to the plurality of battery packs and configured to:

measure an electric current associated with each battery pack of the plurality of battery packs; and

control charging and discharging of the plurality of battery packs; and

an array controller coupled to the string controller and configured to instruct the string controller to charge and discharge the plurality of battery packs based on a plurality of battery sensor measurements over a period of time for each of the plurality of battery packs, wherein the plurality of battery sensor measurements are measured by at least one of the battery voltage measurement circuit, the battery temperature measurement circuit, and the string controller;

a battery usage collection device, comprising:

a memory configured to store battery usage data for the plurality of battery packs; and

a warranty daemon configured to, for each of the plurality of battery packs contained within the battery energy storage system:

receive battery usage data for the battery pack, wherein the battery usage collection device is connected to the battery energy storage system, and wherein the battery usage data includes battery identification information and the plurality of battery sensor measurements for the battery pack;

compute a warranty value for the battery pack based on the received plurality of battery sensor measurements for the battery pack;

store the battery usage data and the computed warranty value in the memory; and

transmit the stored battery usage data and the computed warranty value to a data center via a data network for analysis.

16. The battery usage collection device ofclaim 15, wherein the plurality of battery sensor measurements include one or more electric current measurements, one or more temperature measurements and one or more voltage measurements.

17. The battery usage collection device ofclaim 15, wherein the warranty daemon is further configured to store the battery usage data by:

correlating each of the plurality of battery sensor measurement to a predefined range of measurement values; and

incrementing a fixed-size counter stored in the memory that corresponds to the predefined range of measurement values.

18. The battery usage collection device ofclaim 15, wherein the warranty daemon is further configured to normalize the received battery usage data according to a predefined data format.

19. The battery usage collection device ofclaim 15, wherein the warranty daemon is further configured to receive the battery usage data by:

opening a data file containing the battery usage data; and

parsing the data file according to predefined rules to extract the plurality of battery sensor measurements.

20. The battery usage collection device ofclaim 15, wherein the warranty daemon is further configured to receive the battery usage data via an application programming interface (API) provided by the battery energy storage system.

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